In Marketing Technology, Service Makes All the Difference (Part 2 of 2)

Written by: Amanda Knauer

Two roads diverged in a budding industry.Luckily companies don’t have to choose.But many do, and many lose.

Our previous post discussed two paths a marketing technology company can take: all-tech or all-service.

Knowing how important customer support is to Brandmuscle and to our clients, which path do you think we chose?

The answer is both.

And yes, it is possible for a technology company to have both a best-in-class product and a supportive customer service team. You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

Brian Shepard, Business Development Specialist at Brandmuscle, gives four reasons why your company should take both paths as well:

1.) Support calls are both challenges and opportunities

People aren’t always easy to work with, and there can be a lot of pressure to get it right, so that’s where the challenge is. But it’s also an opportunity for your company to show the value of the service you provide. Customer service shouldn’t be treated as an eye-rolling task, but as a learning opportunity for everyone. You can learn from the people who use your technology to understand what needs improved, and they can learn more about your products and services.

2.) Active support keeps you hands-on with users

It’s important that you are the ones engaging with the users of your product. If you outsource your customer service, then you lose connectivity. You are the experts in your product, so you’ll be the ones there to assist your client with excellence and expertise. Remaining hands-on with your users leaves the customer confident in your brand and your product. The range of experience, temperaments and challenges coming into your support center will vary widely, but one thing must stay consistent: your company.

3.) Excellent service leads to meaningful relationships with end users and valuable feedback for your client service and product teams

Being heavily invested in service gives a company an interesting and valuable vantage point. It allows you to get down and see your product through the user’s eyes. You see where your clients may be having issues, which allows you to strive to improve your product. Taking pride in support and keeping it in-house affords you the opportunity to build and improve relationships with clients as a partner rather than just a vendor.

4.) Good service drives results for clients AND builds your company's reputation

You want your clients to see the success of their operation through the success of your operation. When you have a service mentality driving a product to be the best it can be, you're able to show the most positive results. From each support call and email to the culmination of these efforts over the long term, having a strong support component shows your clients the true value of your company.

When clients call Brandmuscle they receive immediate support from employees in our own office. We have roughly 700,000 users and maintain a 93 percent live answer rate. Through this, we have been able to improve our product, build relationships with users and maintain our reputation as a brand. As Brian says, “We own our product, and it is just as important that we also own the service behind it.”

Which path is your company or tech vendor on -- tech or service? Will you venture onto both, too? Let us know in the comments below.